Showers and thunderstorms in the area today are helping with our rain deficit, but not by much. Peoria has only seen 9.86" of precipitation since January 1st. That's 5.66" below normal for this time of year. This number is low enough that the National Drought Mitigation Center has classified part of Central Illinois as experiencing D1 drought conditions, which is the second level of a five tier long term drought severity index. This will have an impact on crops, as they are already in need of water from the dry spring.
The forecast for the next 8-14 days isn't looking to bring much relief. The Climate Prediction Center gives Central Illinois a 40% chance of seeing below average precipitation. Add in a 50% chance at above average temperatures and the end of June will be much like this past spring, hot and dry.
Today's shower and thunderstorm activity is courtesy of a cold front to our northwest. As it slowly slides southeast today and tonight, scattered storms will develop in our area. Here is a look at the radar as of about 11:05 am:
Once the cold front passes through tonight, a cooler, drier high pressure system will settle in for Tuesday. Despite sunshine, high temperatures tomorrow will be about 5-10 degrees cooler than today. By the end of the week, a ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere will build over the eastern half of the US. This will keep us sunny and dry into next week, with a big warm up for the weekend.
